Fights And Friends
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: Ryouko is still haunted by the shadows of her past. Persistent and dangerous, will she ever be freed from them unharmed? Hitsujikai won't give up on her so easily, but neither will Ryoushi. T warning.
1. Fights

**Ello thar once again! I'm back with more epic/cute Ookami-san stories! This one is a lot more serious than my previous fic, To Catch The Wolf, and I was debating whether or not to rate it simply as T so I'm warning you all now. But this one has a lot more action, peril, and suspense so please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakamatachi :(**

* * *

Fights And Friends

Chapter 1. Fights

"And what can we help you with?" Alice asked the Otogi Bank's newest client.

A tall, brown-haired student sat opposite her on the couch as the rest of the members watched and listened in on the two's conversation on screen from their separate room. The client seemed a bit jumpy, but as Alice looked closer at his facial expressions, she somehow got a suspicious feeling about her, yet listened to his story nonetheless.

"I've been having a lot of trouble with thugs recently, especially on the way home from school." The boy informed her, yet the way he talked and the slightly uninterested look in his eye only raised her suspicions even higher, since he acted and sounded quite like a thug himself. "I think they're from that other school…Oni…Oni-something-or-other."

"Onigashima?" Alice queried, pushing her glasses into place with her index finger.

"Yeah, t-that's the one." He nodded quickly.

"How many are usually present?"

"…About 4 or 5."

"I see. And I understand you are a new student here." Alice said carefully. "Are you familiar with how we run things here at Otogi Bank?" she asked.

"Yeah. If you help me now, I'll help you later, right?" he guessed.

"More or less." She nodded. "So, what is it, exactly that you want us to do for you?" The girl wondered, scribbling down several descriptions of the client's request on the clipboard on her lap.

"I heard you have a member who would fit the description I'm looking for perfectly." He leaned forward to look Alice in the eye. "I want a bodyguard. Ryouko Ookami."

Alice was silent for a moment, covering up her hesitance by scribbling down more notes, listening intently to her earpiece. But the other end was silent, which indicated that she needed to meet up with them personally.

"Please excuse me as I discuss the conditions with the other members." She dipped her head politely to the client, even though her voice was tight and displayed subtle untrustworthiness toward him, yet the boy merely watched her go.

As Alice entered the other room where the rest of the members were gathered, the president had already picked up her feelings of suspicion; being first cousins with the purple-haired assistant, he knew precisely what she was thinking. He shared her thoughts about this new client and the other members were casting him doubtful glances as well.

"I don't like this guy." Ryoushi mumbled from his seat on the couch. "It sounds like there's more to his deal than what he's letting on."

Ryouko, who was seated beside him nodded grimly in agreement.

"He's very untrustworthy." Ringo added from his other side.

"He's a new student?" Otohime queried from where she stood beside Urashima. "Why do I feel like I've seen him somewhere before?"

"Yes." The white-haired boy beside her nodded. "He seems somehow familiar."

"And if he's new to us, why have we yet to see him during any classes or around campus?" Otsu wondered aloud.

"How does he know about the Otogi Bank already?" Majou trilled in her raspy voice.

"And how does he know Ryouko-san?" Ryoushi finished.

"You all make very valid points," Liszt agreed, his hands folded under his chin as he leaned forward onto his desk. "But he _is_ a client of the Otogi Bank now and we have no hard evidence against him, though it is quite suspicious he refused to give us his name."

"That is what concerns me as well." Alice chipped in. "We allow clients to remain anonymous if they so desire, for their own reasons, but we cannot just simply assume he won't tell us his name just because he's a shy new student. Perhaps he's hiding something?"

"Or perhaps we're all just overreacting?" the president suggested, then sighed. "Though I highly doubt that's the case, as I've said he is a client and we have no evidence to prove otherwise." Then, he turned his head towards where Ryouko sat and she raised her head. "However, this is Onigashima we'll be dealing with if we chose to accept." One of his eyes creaked open to rest on the girl and she met his gaze steadily. "Would you be alright with those terms, Ookami-san?" he asked meaningfully.

The other six members shared doubtful and concerned glances with one another; they all knew very well that Onigashima was the very last title Ryouko wanted to get involved with.

However, she was obviously determined not to let others think she was still haunted by her past and blinked slowly at the president before replying.

"I would be fine with that." She guaranteed.

After a moment longer, he closed his eye before straightening up. "Alright then. Alice-kun, please let him know we'll be participating in his request." He ordered.

His cousin nodded once before disappearing back into the main room where their client was waiting. The rest of the team was silent as they listened in on Alice's earpiece as she wrapped up the deal before she re-entered the meeting room.

"Alright, it's done." She announced, the turned to face Ryouko. "You'll be accompanying him home today, and possibly for however long is necessary until these issues are resolved."

"Fine." Ryouko nodded. "Then I'll be off." She stood to her feet and briskly crossed the space of the room toward the exit where her client awaited her. Ringo quietly wished her friend luck before Ryouko disappeared.

The second she was gone, her companions felt the anxiety crackling in the air like lightning and Ryoushi shot up from his seat like a bullet.

"President-!"

"I know." The blonde boy sympathized. "I don't like the looks of this either." He obviously was feeling his teammates' uneasiness about this whole situation. "Which is why I want you to tail them, Ryoushi-kun." The green-eyed boy's eyes widened in surprise before the emotion turned to determination and he nodded. "You work best with Ookami-san when fighting, but hopefully, we won't need to see such teamwork. But just as a precaution, I want you to follow them."

"Understood." The boy dipped his head.

"We'll be here if you need us." The blonde finished.

"Thank you." Ryoushi mumbled as he quickly rushed out of the room as well.

"Well this sure is troublesome." Alice sighed.

Her cousin narrowed his eyes. "Let's hope that's _all_ it will be."

* * *

Ryouko forced back a glare as she appeared in front of her newest client.

She recalled what her friends had said about him and how he looked familiar and she was beginning to agree with them, but could not quite place him. He was leaning against the wall of the school with his arms crossed and a sly smirk on his face, but Ryouko knew she could not act rudely toward him. She got the feeling she was being set up, but had confidence she could tackle whatever was thrown at her.

"So," she began as they started to walk. "Where do they usually hang around?"

"Near the entrance to the park." He informed her, beginning to walk forward and the girl followed somewhat reluctantly.

"And there are usually about 5 of them?" She checked.

"At the most." The way he was eyeing her with that grin on his face made her felt that he was not truly interested in having her as a bodyguard but had some other motive.

"Then I'll accompany you until we're past the park completely." She decided.

"That's fine by me." He agreed.

The park was in sight as they finished their conversation, and as he had described, 5 large teenage boys were sulking around near the entrance with their hands shoved into their pockets and their postures slouched. As the two passed by them, Ryouko immediately felt their eyes lock onto her and she felt as though she were a lone wolf in the presence of hyenas.

But her client did seem to be a bit unnerved and she was beginning to wonder if his problems were sincere. She sent her iciest glares over to the 5 boys, a silent warning to keep away and shockingly enough, they did just that, though their mutters and throaty laughs as they watched her pass by made her want to deck them all in their ugly faces; she recognized all of them from Hitsujikai's ranks of goons.

When they were finally out of range, Ryouko halted.

"Well my part's done here. I'll come back tomorrow though, just in case." She promised.

"I'd appreciate that." He said with a small grin, and she truly did feel the slightest bit guilty for suspecting him before. _I guess he is just a new student getting bullied_.

As she and the brown–haired boy parted ways, Ryoushi arrived at the park, prepared to fight only to see the girl he loved walking calmly homebound. Confusion flared up inside of him but was soon replaced by relief.

And so he merely continued on his way home.

* * *

"How did it go yesterday, Ookami-san?"

The first member of the Bank Ryouko had seen after her job the next day, aside from Ringo, was Otohime. It was after-school hours and the members of the Bank were just beginning to assemble. The aqua-haired beauty had her hands clasped together and her eyes were anxious and worried.

"It was fine." Ryouko replied, just as she had done the night before to Ringo when she got home. "The situation was exactly as he described." Then she added to the rest of the members gathered who all had equally concerned stares directed toward her. "I said I'd accompany him back today as well, just to make sure. I don't think one glare is going to keep those creeps away." She finished.

"Well done, Ookami-san." Liszt congratulated her. "I commend you for sticking with it today as well." The doubts of the other members seemed to have ebbed away slightly, but there were still some obvious lingering suspicions judging from the uneasy glances being shot around the room.

"I still have my doubts about that guy…" Ryoushi mumbled.

"Yes." Urashima had a thoughtful look on his face. "And I still want to know why he seems familiar."

"I'm sure we won't need to worry about that." Otsu chimed in. "After today Ookami-san should be free of him."

"Exactly." Ryouko agreed. "I honestly do appreciate everyone's concern but after today, this should be the end of it all. I'll be fine." She assured them. "I'm going now."

As she brushed past Otohime and Majou and disappeared up the hidden staircase, Ryoushi could not help but think that her 'I'll be fine' statement sounded more than a little foreboding somehow and he got a sinking feeling in his gut.

"Well then," the president said. "Let's all let Ookami-san do her job and we'll get on with the next client."

* * *

"Thanks for coming out again today."

Ryouko blinked in surprise at her client's unexpected appreciative comment as she tagged on beside him.

"It's nothing." She responded curtly, her defenses up even higher now, suspecting that he was trying to make her feel comfortable. They walked on in silence until they reached the park, but the entrance was vacant of any of Onigashima's delinquents.

"I guess yesterday's plan worked out well." The boy stated, but something in his voice did not allow Ryouko to take him seriously.

"I don't believe it either." She halted in her tracks. "And that's not the only thing I'm not believing, so why don't you tell me what you really want?" she turned to face him, sending him a stare that was like an assault of daggers. "Why did you _really_ request me to do this job?"

"Why, isn't that obvious, Ryouko-chan?"

A deep, suave voice sounded from over her shoulder and her heart came screeching to a stop. "He did it because I told him to."

"H...Hitsujikai…" she choked. Yet she desperately forced her terror away and spun around to face him. "So he _was_ one of your goons! You sent him to us purposely!"

But only after she had finished her furious outburst did she realize that the park behind Hitsujikai was now filled with Onigashima's thugs.

"Of course I did." His blue eyes were calm and collective, yet they burned with a subtle flame of malice that sent a shiver down her spine. "He led you right into my little snare. I told him that if he brought you here, he'd get to watch as I got to eat you up." He smirked.

Ryouko fought away the urges to collapse to the ground as well as to turn and flee, for she knew that either was useless in this situation.

"You sick bastard." She snarled, raising her arms into a defensive position and curling her fingers into rock-hard fists. But before she could take a swing, Hitsujikai stepped back into his crowd of assembled brutes as they began to close in on her.

_Dammit_. Ryouko cursed in her mind. _No one else I know takes this road home. I'm on my own here._

As quick as a striking serpent, Ryouko lunged forward and nailed the nearest man in the gut, sending him toppling over in pain. Then, the others charged at her all at once and she ducked low and dashed to the side, avoiding all of their attempted hits. As she ran, she knocked several of them down by hitting the backs of their knees. As she straightened her posture to regain her stance, she realized that she had lost sight of Hitsujikai, but worse yet was that some of his followers now had metal and steel pipes and others even carried knives.

_Great. I don't even have my boxing gloves…_

She gritted her teeth in annoyance as she dodged another attack from behind; she quickly took care of that assailant with an elbow-strike to the face, aiming perfectly to land directly between the nose and mouth. She even had to go so low as to resort to kicking below the belt in some cases, but it was her only option at times. In order not to get hit, Ryouko knew that she had to keep moving and keep looking out in every direction constantly so she kept backing away farther into the park.

As a thickly-built man rushed at her, she slipped away at the last second and snickered as he collided fully with a tree. _This is survival of the fittest_. She reminded herself as she roundhouse-kicked another in the stomach. _If you're down, you're out_.

Her eyes then glimpsed the brown-haired boy who had posed as the Otogi Bank's client and she narrowed her eyes at him like a cat does to its prey. "You little weasel!" she screeched, thrusting herself through the crowd and knocking others over just to reach him. When she finally did, he had no time to react as Ryouko slammed her knuckles into his forehead, sending him stumbling backwards to roll around, whimpering in the grass.

Ryouko then turned back to face the remaining thugs, satisfied when she saw that their numbers had dwindled to less than half of the original fighting force already. But just as she was about to charge forward, shock shot over her as she saw more, fresh backup emerging from the direction of Onigashima. _That damned Hitsujikai! He slinked off and went for backup while these guys were doing his dirty work!_

Rage at his cowardice blinded her for a moment as she threw herself forward and took down the nearest one with a tornado kick, followed up by a back-kick. She tried to control her wild breathing, knowing that it was one of the major aspects that could be her potential downfall in this brawl, but her attackers did not give her a chance. One came up from her left with a pipe raised over his head and another came from her right with a pocket knife. She waited until the very last second before jumping back to watch as the pipe landed squarely on the other man's head.

However, his knife had succeeded in piercing Ryouko's side as she had leapt back, and the pain began to ebb over her stomach.

Just then, she realized that her entire body was covered in knife wounds and was throbbing with pain. _I must have been so into it I must not have realized the pain until now_. But she knew she had to keep on ignoring the pain until this fight was over if she wanted to win.

She considered making a run for it now while she still could, but when she stole a glance behind her, her eyes landed on the white-haired demon that haunted her dreams every night. She froze like a deer in the headlights, when she saw his menacing smile, his vicious eyes.

Her temporary ceasing of movement only lasted long enough to count one of her heartbeats, but it was just long enough for one of the last delinquents to get behind her unnoticed and slam her across the shoulders with a steel pipe at full force and close-range.

Ryouko let out a sickening wail before she slumped to the ground and lay still.

* * *

When she awoke next, Ryouko found herself pressed up against something sturdy.

The aches throughout her body, especially behind her neck and shoulders were pulsing disgustingly with sheer agony. Her arms were numbed and nearly every part of her was bleeding or dried with blood; she let a small spark of satisfaction overcome her as she realized that only _most_ of it was her own.

Creaking her eyes opened, she found herself pinned against the thick trunk of a tree in the park. Two large thugs stood on either side of her, each one holding up one of her arms. Others were gathered around, most bore wounds from their fight with her, she noticed smugly.

"Ah, Ryouko-chan. Finally awake, I see." Her blood ran cold as she recognized the voice of the detested man once more. She lifted her head and met his blue eyes evenly.

"I find it just plain _pathetic_ and _insulting_ that nearly all of your creeps were taken out by a single girl." She scoffed. But immediately after she had said as much, a kick slammed into her stomach and she choked violently.

"Now, now, did I say you could talk?" he asked, leaning in closer to her. He watched as she gasped in pain, and she knew that he was enjoying it, and with all her being and soul she wanted to land just one good hit on him.

"What the hell…do you want?" she growled between gritted teeth.

"My, my there you go again, disobeying orders." At his command, one of the men holding her kicked her again and Ryouko fell into a fit of coughs. "I just want to finish what I started." He said simply, his eyes flickering over her from head to feet. "I did promise I'd let them watch, after all." The gang around him began laughing and shouting their disgusting support.

Hitsujikai got closer to her and Ryouko long to kick him where it counted, but her legs were shivering madly. She attempted to jerk her arms free, but all feeling was overcome by pain. The man she once had feelings for reached out a hand and tilted her chin upwards as his other hand glided over her waist on the side where it was not bleeding.

As he went in to kiss her, with a huge effort, Ryouko bashed her forehead into his, sending him back a step.

"Feisty as ever, I see." He obviously was trying to hide the annoyance from his voice.

"What the hell do you _want_?" she snapped, not in the mood for mind games.

"You, obviously." He replied. "But last time," Hitsujikai went on. "I assumed you didn't appreciate the fact that I had gotten the rest of your little gang caught up in things, so this time, I'm just going after you alone. You should be thankful to me."

"Shove off!" she spat furiously and received similar results as she did so.

"Why you must be a masochist." Hitsujikai reached out and grabbed a strand of her long, golden hair. "But I am a sadist." He yanked roughly, and Ryouko let out a scream as her head was forced forward. Then he whispered into her ear, "Then let me satisfy your masochistic needs."

Releasing her hair, the white-haired man stepped back and motioned to his cronies. In turn, several stepped forward and landed blows on Ryouko; the first one punched her, the second one jabbed her with his elbow and the third kicked her, all in the stomach.

At the final impact, Ryouko felt a minimum of two of her ribs shatter and she cried out until everything went black again.

* * *

**A/N: So sorry it was so fast-paced and so sorry I have to leave you off on a cliff hanger for the time being. I'll give you chapter 2 in a short while so be patient and tell any Ookami-san-loving friends you may have who may like this fic! :D**

**Please review!**


	2. Friends

**Gah! Last chapter was so horrible! I hated writing it! Well actually I just hate Hitsujikai.**

**Hope whoever's decided to read chapter 2 enjoys!**

**Disclaimer: I still do not own Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakamatachi :'(**

* * *

Fights and Friends

Chapter 2. Friends

"I'm sorry." Ryoushi apologized quickly. "But I really have to be going now."

And with that final farewell, he slipped out of the Otogi Bank's doors and out onto the school's campus, the other members following him worriedly with their eyes.

The sinking feeling had returned to his gut and he quickened his pace until he was running. His suspicions were proven correct as he neared the park and heard harsh, male laughter from up ahead.

Ryoushi froze for a moment, glancing around for a place to conceal himself before running over to a nearby tree. Slowly, he peered around the trunk and nearly shouted with horror at the scene before him.

There, he saw Ryouko pinned against a tree, held down by the arms on both sides. Her entire body was covered in scraps and wounds, and blood trickled down her arms and stomach. A handful of Onigashima's students encircled the area, but the one that stood out the most among them had long, white hair.

Ryoushi's first initiative was to leap out and help her, but he knew that that would only make matters worse.

His second thought was to rush back to school and get assistance, but after seeing the scene before him, he would never forgive himself for leaving her alone.

So he went with his third option and stayed put for the moment, plots forming in his mind of what he could do. _If I just somehow take down the two holding her, and Hitsujikai, we could make a run for it…_Yet he had no weapons on him whatsoever, and upon closer inspection it was obvious that Ryouko was not running anywhere any time soon. _Then I'll just have to get them to leave somehow_.

But no matter how hard he thought, he could compose no thoughts that would possibly take care of all of them at once. But then his mind went blank and his eyes narrowed like a panther's, a _hunter's_, as Hitsujikai leaned in toward Ryouko.

Ryoushi saw that he was telling her something but could not make out what it was; yet Ryouko's reply was loud and clear as she flung herself forward and smashed her forehead against his and the man stepped back, cursing. Ryoushi could not help but feel a tiny flicker of admiration for her, especially considering the condition and situation she was in at the moment.

After a few harsher, inaudible comments were sparked between them, Ryoushi tensed as Hitsujikai reached forward and grabbed Ryouko's hair, earning a shriek from her and Ryoushi straightened up immediately and took a step forward, biting his lower lip in sheer anger. He nearly gave away his position but before that could happen, he suddenly remembered the advice Nekomiya had given him; always to keep a cool head during a fight, and with much effort, he stepped back again.

But what he saw next had Ryoushi digging his fingernails into the bark of the tree he hid behind until they began to bleed.

Three of the men surrounding Ryouko stepped forward and threw blows at her in turn and Ryoushi had to close his eyes as the final thug landed his kick on her ribcage. He heard her choked cry falter and die away, thin and shuddering like some small animal being tortured to death. Tears were streaming down her face and Ryoushi could see them clear as day, feeling some of his own on the verge of falling. Then, Ryouko's head fell forward, her hair spilling out over her shoulders and she was still.

"Damn it!" Ryoushi cursed, slamming his fist against the tree trunk. "That _bastard!_" His eyes opened again, burning with fury as he watched Hitsujikai advanced toward the unconscious girl once more, a sick smirk on his face. He extended his hand toward Ryouko and Ryoushi could see the lust flashing in his eyes as the guys around him began to grin and laugh. Then, Ryoushi recognized the Otogi Bank's newest client step forward; he had a nice bruise around one eye as well as a limp.

"Well? Get on with it!" he hooted.

"Now, now." Hitsujikai directed his attention toward him. "Not yet. It'll be more fun when she's conscious." He vowed.

The brown-haired boy looked disappointed but nodded, nonetheless.

Now that Ryoushi knew he had more time, until Ryouko woke up again, to get help, he turned to make a mad dash back to school, or simply to find the nearest person to consult for assistance. But just before he began to head away, he heard another voice rise up impatiently, "Just do it now!" Stopping dead in his tracks, Ryoushi quickly returned back to his hiding position as Hitsujikai responded with a smirk, "Very well."

He reached forward to lift Ryouko's head up and he stared down at her. "She's even more beautiful than before." He snickered. Then, his hand slid down her neck, letting her head drop limply again as the white-haired man grabbed at her shirt collar.

Ryoushi snapped.

He felt so enraged that he was ominously calm, like the center of a tornado.

He flew forward across the grass, faster than any beast or serpent so that no one noticed his approach until he was already upon them; one second Hitsujikai was hungrily eyeing the unconscious girl, and the next he was 10 feet away, nursing a broken cheekbone.

"_Don't touch her!_" Ryoushi roared, fuming as he glared daggers up at the menacing Student Council president.

"Well, well, Morino-kun, is it not?" he spat out a bloody mixture of saliva. "This is unexpected." He growled, facing his opponent directly, his eyes blazing with cold, annoyance, as a lion would glare at a pestering fly. "This is also the _second_ time you've made me bleed." He finished, bearing his teeth. The men around him began to comprehend what was happening, and all of them aside from the two restraining Ryouko began to move in toward Ryoushi.

"Back off!" the green-haired boy yowled. "Get out of here you good for nothing _cowards_!" To prove that he was serious, he rushed at the nearest one and socked him upside the chin before kicking him in the gut and sending him flying backwards, bowling over two of his companions.

The remaining delinquents stared in shock at first before advancing, shouting and cursing. But Ryoushi was ready for them and met them head-on, knocking the shins out from underneath one and dodging the blows of the rest. He could feel the heat of battle coursing through him, rage and fury tearing through him like a wrathful storm. Spinning back around, he spotted the false client who had cause all this trying to limp away. Ryoushi easily caught up to him and grabbed him by the shirt collar, figuring he would mess with him a little considering he would feel too much like a loser if he injured a guy with a limp any further.

"Get. Out." He snarled threateningly into his victim's face before smashing his forehead against the Onigashima student's and allowing him to stumble away, bumbling like a blind oaf.

Ryoushi straightened up and spun around to face his next opponent, but to his surprise, when he turned, only several of Hitsujikai's men remained, along with the despicable ringleader himself.

Their eyes locked, each blazing with equal hatred and loathing; no longer was this only a fight for Ryouko, but it was also a personal battle between men with grudges to make known and scores to settle.

Ryoushi stepped forward, his eyes narrowed and fixed on the white-haired man he detested so much, but his adversary seemed cool and collected. Hitsujikai was unnerved by Ryoushi's intense glares and clenching fists, even though the side of his face was red and bruised.

Suddenly, before either could make a move, the distant sound of sirens alerted them both and they each stopped dead in their tracks. Relief swept through Ryoushi, but his opponent swore colorfully at the sound.

"Let's get out of here." He ordered his remaining men. The two confining Ryouko let her limp body crumble to the ground and Ryoushi had to close his eyes briefly to avoid the painful sight.

Hitsujikai stood over her for a moment, a hungry, yearning look in his eyes that made Ryoushi want to punch his lights out once and for all. "And I was so close…" he growled, turning the girl over onto her back with his foot.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!"

Ryoushi could hold back no longer. He flung himself forward and kicked at the demon that called himself a human being. Hitsujikai leapt nimbly away from the attack and Ryoushi took up a defensive stance above Ryouko. The sirens screeched closer and the rest of Onigashima's trash had already vanished.

"You've won this battle, Morino-kun," the white-haired man admitted. "But," his eyes flared with a challenge. "The war is far from over."

And with those final, words, dripping with menace, he disappeared, like a fox, into the surrounding woods.

Ryoushi glared after him for a moment to make sure he was truly gone for good.

Then, he turned around to look down at the girl at his feet. The strong, yet secretly weak, invincible, wonderful, beautiful, one and only love of his life, Ryouko Ookami lay there, defeated and broken.

He never thought he would see the day, nor did he think it was possible in the first place. Blood coated her arms and her right side was soaked with it.

He collapsed onto his knees beside her, slowly reaching out his hand toward her before recoiling it, afraid that she would shatter into a million pieces if he so much as blinked. But he needed to know just how badly she was hurt; he would not be able to bear sitting in some hospital room waiting for the results.

Gently, gentler than a butterfly's wing, he brushed his fingers over her arms, and by the way her left one was twisted slightly he was certain it was fractured at the least and her wrist also seemed to be in a similar condition. The bleeding at her side had stopped for the most part, but the knife had thankfully not pierced any vital spots.

Running his fingers up her side, he discovered that a minimum of three of her ribs were broken. Her breathing was shallow and weak at best, and he had to rest his palm on her chest just to make sure she was actually breathing at all. The flutter of her heartbeat was uneven and slow, but for some reason, even though she was so terribly injured all at the expense of his carelessness, Ryoushi was unbelievably relieved.

"Ryouko…I'm sorry." He hissed between his teeth, desperately trying to hold back the hot tears that were welling up behind his eyes.

"I'm so sorry…"

* * *

Ryoushi sat with the other six members of the Otogi Bank, plus Mimi Usami; Ryoushi had been informed that she had been the one to call the police to the sight after witnessing the fight. She had returned immediately to the school, doing what Ryoushi could not have afforded to do, and had informed the remaining members of what had occurred. After finding out what she had done, all of them had thanked her unconditionally.

Now, they all sat in Ryouko's hospital room, surrounding her bed on all sides; Alice had persuaded the nurses to allow all of them to be present at once for when their friend awoke.

It was getting dark outside by this time, but none of them intended to leave until they saw her eyes open.

Presently, Ryoushi sat on the left side of Ryouko's bed, his face grim was worried as he listened to the beeping of the IV that monitored her heart rate. Liszt and Alice sat beside him, both quietly debating what the results of this assault would do to against Onigashima's entire school. Otsu sat beside them, holding back her tears to the best of her ability. Majou, seated on the other side of the bed, shook her head from side to side in a rare gesture of anger and helplessness. Otohime pressed against Urashima for comfort and he gently stroked her hair. Usami looked miserable as she fidgeted next to them, but worst of them all was Ringo. She was crying hysterically while clasping Ryouko's right hand, for it was _not_ broken.

"Ryouko-chan…Ryouko-chan…" she kept repeating over and over again.

Years seemed to pass by until finally, the unconscious girl stirred and all eyes immediately looked up at her. Ryouko's eyebrows were twitching and her forehead was furrowed as she fought to open her eyes.

Her companions all held their breaths as her gorgeous russet irises opened slowly and blinked up at them. Worried faces soon turned relieved and joyful and smiles broke out across every face in the room.

"Ryouko!"

"Ryouko-chan!" Ryoushi and Ringo cried out in unison as the others all simply let out sighs of relief.

"R-Ryoushi…" she managed to rasp. "Ringo…everyone…" Gingerly, she slipped her hand away from Ringo's grip to lean on her arm, attempting to push herself up. But before she could even put pressure on her arm to move, her friends all immediately jumped up.

"You mustn't, Ryouko-san!" Otsu cried.

"You're hurt really bad!" Ringo added.

"A-Alright!" Ryouko gave in to the intense stares from around her and slowly laid back down.

"We were all so worried!" Otohime burst out, then.

"I'm sorry, you guys." Ryouko apologized.

"N-N-No!" the green-haired girl gasped. "T-That's not what I meant! It's not _your _fault! There's no reason for you to apologize! I was just saying…" she trailed off guiltily.

"No, I know that." Ryouko replied. "But still, I'm sorry. I should have been able to fight them off but I just…" her breath hitched in her throat as she recalled Hitsujikai's eyes, blazing with hunger and malice.

"Ryouko-san." All turned their heads toward the President of the Otogi Bank as he spoke up. "You're not giving yourself nearly enough credit. There were over _thirty _opponents for you there, and they also had the element of surprise and the advantage of sheer body mass."

"He's right." Ryoushi agreed, and he nearly flinched as her gaze was then directed at him; he could hardly bear to look at her. "There's no reason for you to apologize for anything. It was me who couldn't help you out."

"W-What?" she blurted out. "What are you talking about, Ryoushi?" He remembered that she had regained consciousness for a brief period of time while in the ambulance and it was obvious that she had comprehended what had happened with the situation at the time. "You saved me, didn't you? If it weren't for you, if you hadn't stopped Hitsujikai when you did…I would be a lot worse right now." She finished quietly.

Ryoushi shuddered; he did not even want to think about it. He recalled what he had seen, how her ex-boyfriend had longed to assault her and see her suffer even more than she already had.

"Don't be sorry over what you _didn't_ do," Ryouko went on to him after a moment. "Be proud and know that I'm thankful for what you _did_ do." She finished with a tiny smile.

Ryoushi blinked down at her in astonishment before bowing his head.

"Ryouko-san…" he shook his head from side to side. "_I'm_ supposed to be making _you_ feel better, here." He informed her.

Light chuckles drifted about the room.

"Well then," Liszt said in a loud voice so that all could hear him. "Let's all be off and let Ryouko-san rest for a while now, shall we?" The others nodded in agreement and began to file out the door, all wishing their injured friend a swift recovery.

At last, only the president, Ryoushi and Ringo remained in the room. The blonde boy looked over his shoulder before he left as well. "Oh. And you'll all be glad to know that Onigashima's actions are being reported to the board of education as well as the police. They're not getting out of this one so easily." He smiled smugly before slipping out of the room.

"Ryouko-chan!" Ringo wailed. "Get better soon! You _have_ to! I'm going to be so lonely!"

"I'll do my best." Her roommate promised.

"I'll be visiting you every day so don't miss me too much." The redhead warned, leaning over Ryouko's bed and giving her a small hug.

"I won't." She smiled.

"Good."

"I'll be visiting you too!" Ryoushi added in.

"Oh-ho! You're not jealous of me, are you, Ryoushi-kun?" Ringo taunted.

"Of course not!" he cried.

"Alright, alright. No fighting in the hospital." Ryouko broke in, than smiled up at them both. "See you tomorrow."

"Right." Ryoushi promised as he followed Ringo out. "See you tomorrow."

* * *

**A/N: Thus completes part 1! The sequel for this fic is called Recovery And Romance, and it will be up soon! I just hope for some reviews for this first ;3 Thanks for reading!**

**Please review!**


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